Sibu Seafood, Swans and Sponsorship

Sibu. East Malaysia. By the river. An interesting little town with a lot of history, great food and hm. Oddities? Like suddenly, there is a swan. This is at one end of a promenade, which curves from the Kingwood hotel to the local market. The market by itself is interesting as it is one of the biggest in the country. Add to that the fact that many of the wares offered are not commonly available in Peninsular Malaysia, this place is a trip!

There is a very remarkable change in atmosphere as you meander along the river. Can't explain it, but there is a certain Blade Runner to it, mixed with the first half of "The Beach". 

And then you head for an event where the sponsor is a fish monger. Complete with a big freezer, selling frozen fish. Yes. Frozen fish. Which you buy during a gala dinner and then bring home like a trophy. 

So Long, and Thanks for the Frozen Fish

Went to Sibu to attend a function. Not unusual to have sponsors to add a layer of excitement to events hosted by players in the road transport industry. At https://whiskyplus.my/ sponsors could be coffee roasters, cigar lounges and caviar brands. 

However, the frozen fish at the gathering in Sibu was far out. Frozen. Fish. About 10Kg and 200 EURO. Now, if you lived in town, you could take it home, sure. Grab driver may look at you funnily, but I guess someone bringing produce from the market is nothing new.

This being an industry event for all of Sarawak, people would have come from other cities, some up to 6 hours by car away. Or like me, flying in from across the water. 

I just pictured myself with a Styrofoam box at the check in.

So, now this takes the top spot for the most memorable sponsorship. 

The most famous fish in Sibu is the Empurau, also known as the "King of the River" or wang bu liao ("unforgettable" in Mandarin). This is a rare, expensive freshwater fish from the Rajang River, prized for its sweet, creamy, and tender flesh, which comes from its diet of fruits like the engkabang fruit. 

Kuching Food Festival

 This was the third time we have been to the Kuching Food Festival. Always an experience. This time again, we met with Nick and the rest is history of course. We settled into the 1602 booth for a few drinks to catch up. 

Interesting to hear about the difficulties running a small business in East Malaysia. The legal framework is rather different in East Malaysia and there are different pitfalls. 

Appropriate Glasses

Finally managed to buy proper glasses for Cognac. These are proper "Schwenker", you can slosh the liquid around in them like you simulate a tide coming in. Fantastic quality and one can feel why these are so expensive. Happens that the nose on the Cognac is a different experience with these Vinum Brandy Glasses from Riedel. 
 

Welcome Home ?

We fly to Manila, for an exhibition. And where do we go for coffee? Sure: a Malaysian brand. 

Zus is an interesting one as it is positioned a little below Starbucks price-wise, but with better tasting coffee. Not much of a fan of the ambience though as I think it could be cozier. Guess I have to decide if I want to study for an exam or have a good cuppa. 

The CAM CO-STAR Sarawak Tour

Following our #SuperNiceTour2022, it took almost three years to get a follow-up tour going. Planned meticulously, we toured Sarawak, one of the states in East Malaysia. A week on the road and many memories created, we returned with the ambition to head to Sabah next. 

Read all about our adventures on www.asianbuses-roadtour.com 

 

A Morning Walk

Could not resist: the sunrise over at Cove 55 in Kuching is just too exciting to be missing it sleeping. Nipped out, dipped into the pool for a while while waiting for breakfast to be prepared. 

I only wish they would serve the breakfast down at the pool at this hour. Maybe with an option for sparkling wine or Champagne even. Gorgeous!

Later back to the Sarawak Cultural Village, which in my books is the best attraction in Malaysia.